Hurting Choices
by Crazybluegirl
Summary: JONAS. Maria's best friends are JONAS. But then things change and Maria finds herself scared as she is forced to make a decision between two of her best friends, Joe and his fiancee, Alex. Someone is going to get hurt no matter what.
1. Chapter 1: How We Met

Chapter One: How We Met

"Maria!" Nick exclaim with surprise as he opened the door. "I'm so glad you decided to come." Maria gave him a small smile. Obviously, he had not expected her to come. Actually, she had not expected her to come. But for some reason, she had.

"Come in." Nick said. She stepped into the hallway and he swept her into a quick hug. She was surprised since they had never hugged the entire time they had been friends.

"I'm really glad you came." Nick said. Maria shrugged. She was nervous. She had met Nick Lucas over the internet. On a Paramore fan-site. They had started out just messaging, then emailing, and then IMing. They had been talking for an entire year and then Nick had suggested they meet in person.

Maria was afraid actually. Not that anything bad might happen, but that he might not like her. But she had agreed. She had done her research when he had told her his name was Nick Lucas and he was in a band. She knew there was a band "Jonas" but she didn't know he was that Nicholas Lucas. But he was. Maria met him at a Starbucks that she lived right next to. She didn't know why she had been so nervous. He was everything he had said to be.

After Starbucks, she had taken him home to meet her family of her father and twin younger sisters. They had loved Nick and invited him to visit whenever he wanted. They had hated to say goodbye, but Nick was only in Harrisburg, PA on tour. They had promised to visit each other again soon, but with his tour ending, who knew when that would be.

Summer ended though and school started, but Maria had decided to take a some time off and not go back to school right away. But when her aunt invited her to come stay with her for the fall, Maria accepted. She wasn't sure what she was going to do in Texas- she had never really been far from Pennsylvania.

_~Flashback~_

**Coolrthenu: Are you still awaaaakkkkeeee???**

** Futrpres: uhm, yeeeaaahhhh**

** Coolrthenu: guess what?!**

** Futrpres: what?**

** Coolrthenu: u r lame.**

** Futrpres: uh…why would you have me guess that?**

** Coolrthenu: no. u r lame because u wouldn't guess!!!**

** Futrpres: oh, well. Sorry.**

** Coolrthenu: are u?**

** Futrpres: no**

** Coolrthenu:…**

** Futrpres: *sigh* just tell me!**

** Coolrthenu: I'm leaving home.**

** Futrpres: you're…running away?**

** Coolrthenu: no! I am going away to stay with my aunt.**

** Futrpres: Awesome. Where does she live?**

** Coolrthenu: Lattville, TX. Anywhere near u?**

** Futrpres: :o that is the town I live in!!!!!!**

** Coolrthenu: you are lying.**

** Futrpres: dead serious.**

** Coolrthenu: really???**

** Futurepres: yup.**

** Coolrthenu: AAAHHH!!!**

** Futrpres: AAAAHHH!!!!**

** Coolrthenu: _ why do I get the feeling you are not really screaming?**

** Futrpres: …I rly am excited though.**

** Futrpres: When do you come?**

** Coolrthenu: two weeks**

_~End Flashback~_

So here she was…in Texas. It turned out that she lived only ten minutes walking time away. She and Nick hung out everyday since she didn't know anyone else. He introduced her to friends, but she had yet to meet his family. Then yesterday, he had told her that the next day was his youngest brother, Frankie's birthday. They were having a small party with mostly just family and her wanted her to come and meet his family. She had been hesitant, but said maybe.

Obviously, she had decided to come.

**A/N: Review! I promise to try to update this as often as possible and finish my other stories. Just so busy with school and work. **** encouragement helps! Review! 3**

**Tonya**


	2. Chapter 2: How It Started

Nick took her jacket and led her into the living room. He went through all the names quickly, but Maria only remembered who his brothers and parents were. Maria looked at everyone. His grandparents were on the couch beside his uncle. His aunt sat on the floor with Frankie and his cousin, Jeremy. Across the room sat his dad and his brother Kevin. On the loveseat was his other brother, Joe, and his girlfriend, Alex, who Maria had actually met many times and was good friends with. Maria hardly had time to say hi, before Nick pulled her away into the kitchen.

"This is my mom and my other grandmother." Nick said. "Mom, this is Maria."

"Nice to meet you, Maria." Mrs. Lucas said. "I've heard so much about you. You must call me Denise."

"O..ok." Maria said, her voice cracking with nervousness. She turned to Nick. "Where's Seth?" Seth was Nick's best friend. At least Maria knew him.

"He couldn't make it." Nick said.

"Do you like chocolate, Maria?" Denise asked. As she placed candles in the cake.

"Of course." Maria said with a smile.

"Good. This is a chocolate cake. Of course it's sugar-free though." Denise said. "I hope it's good."

"I'm sure it will be." Maria said.

"Time for cake!" Denise's mother shouted. The rest of the family filed in and soon they were all joining hands for prayer. Maria was between Nick and Joe. After the prayer was said the cake was cut and handed out. Maria followed Nick into the den, where Joe, Alex, Kevin, Jeremy, and apparently another cousin, Lea, were gathered with their own cake.

Maria sat on the floor and ate her cake in mostly silence just listening to the others speak. She noticed Nick kept looking at her. Probably to make sure she wasn't feeling too uncomfortable or out of the circle.

"Maria, how do you like Texas so far?" Joe asked, flipping the hair out of his eyes.

"Um…it's okay." Maria said. "I haven't really seen much of it yet."

"Uh!" Joe gasped. He pushed Nick. "Nick, you should have shown her the sights!"

"She hasn't been here _that _long." Nick said.

"We'll have to give you a tour sometime soon." Kevin said.

"Oh, they give great tours, Maria." Alex said. "As long as Joe isn't driving."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joe asked, giving Alex a sharp look. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"What do you think?" She said. Maria really liked Alex. She was very friendly. In fact, she liked all the Lucas'.

"You remember that time when we went for a walk in the woods and-" Lea started and Jeremy finished with her.

"Joe got lost." They said. Kevin continued. "And it turned out he was just out of site of the house." Everyone laughed.

"Did you ever go to Hershey park, Maria?" Alex asked. Maria smiled. Everyone always asked her this. The conversation then went into her describing Hershey Park and then they all went into talking about amusement parks.

A few hours later, it was eight o'clock. Lea and her family had left a long time ago. Jeremy was spending the night. Maria didn't want to but knew it was time for her to go too.

"I should be going." She said, standing up. Alex groaned as she stood too.

"Me too." She said, stretching. "I loved meeting you, Maria, and I hope we can get together again soon." She hugged Maria then to Maria's surprise.

"Thanks for coming, Maria." Kevin said, from his seat on the couch where he was picking his guitar. Nick and Joe walked the girls to the door.

"See you later, Maria." Joe said as he followed Alex out. Maria waited in the hallway for Nick to bring her jacket. Frankie came walking by. He smiled at her.

"See you later?" He asked.

"Definitely." Maria said, with a smile. He ran up the stairs then and disappeared. Then Nick returned.

"Sorry it took so long, Mom wanted me to get you a piece of cake to take with as well." He said. She shrugged on her jacket and took the cake from him.

"Thanks, Nick." She said. "For everything."

"Have a goodnight." He said, opening the door for her. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay." Maria stepped out into the chilly air as the door closed behind her. She saw Alex just pulling out of the drive, as she walked down the porch steps. Alex waved and Maria waved back, almost running into Joe's shadowy figure.

"Oh, sorry." She said, laughing. "It's dark out here."

'No kidding." Joe said. "Have a goodnight."

"Thanks. You too." She called over her shoulder as he went past her and up the porch steps. Maria started thinking about that night as she walked down their driveway and stepped onto the road. She seemed to have made some new friends. At least she hoped so.

"Maria!"

Maria turned to see Joe walking back down the driveway to her. "Yeah?" She called, curious.

"You walked here?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yes," She added in case he couldn't see her head.

"It's dark." He said. Duh, she had just said that less than a minute ago.

"Yeah, I hadn't expected to stay as long as I did." Maria said, laughingly.

"I'll walk with you." Joe said. Maria shook her head and didn't move.

"I'll be fine really. I mean, it's not like we have many neighbors. And I live just a little ways from here." Maria said.

"How far?" Joe asked.

"Ten minutes." She said.

"That's too far." Joe said. "I can't let you walk that alone."

"I'll be fine." Maria argued. Joe shook his head.

"I'm going with you." Joe said.

"But then you'll have to walk back alone." Maria pointed out.

"That's different." Joe said.

"Because you are a guy." Maria finished for him.

"Yup." Joe said. "But if it makes you feel better, you can always drive me back home."

"Whatever." Maria said still smiling, "Come on." Joe smiled because he had won and walked next her.

"So why did you leave…um…Pennsylvania?" Joe asked.

"Yes. My aunt offered and I agreed. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life anyway." Maria said.

"How did you and Nick meet?" Joe asked. Maria looked at him in surprise.

"Nick didn't tell you?" She asked.

"No. Actually...I first hear about you a week ago. I thought that was when you guys first met, but then you said something about only being in Texas three days and you both acted like you knew each other well." Joe said. There was silence for a minute. Maria couldn't believe Nick hadn't even told his family about her until just a few days before she moved there.

"I've know Nick for over a year." Maria said.

"Wha-really?" Joe asked. "Huh. How did you meet? How come he never mention you before?"

"Beats me." Maria said. "I guess we'll both have to ask Nick."

There was a comfortable silence then as the conversation ended.

"So how long have you and Alex been together?" Maria asked, with a smile. Joe smiled.

"Ten months." He answered.

"I like her." Maria said.

"Good. Me too." He answered.

"Well…how did you meet?" Maria asked. She was dying to know if they were thinking of marriage, but…she'd ask Nick later.

"We met…at church." Joe said.

"That's a good place."

"Yeah…her family had just moved here." He continued. "So we became friends and I guess the rest is history."

"That sounds like a song." Maria commented. Joe laughed.

"You sound like Nick." He said. "You write songs?"

"Just the lyrics usually." Maria answered. "I guess Nick never told you…"

"Told me what?" Joe asked.

"That 'World War III' was my song." Maria said shyly.

"What do you mean 'your song'?" Joe asked.

"I mean, I wrote it."

"Nick stole it from you?!"

"Of course not!" Maria laughed. "I wrote the song and he put music to them and then put it on your album." Joe's jaw dropped. "He asked me first, of course."

"How come he never gave you any credit for it?" Joe asked.

"I told him not to. Of course, I thought he'd at least tell his family…" Maria said. "But then he didn't even tell you about me."

There was a long silence then. Finally, Maria could see her house. She pointed at the light.

"That's my house." She said. Joe shrugged.

"When I walk a girl home, I walk her to the door." He said.

"And how many times have you walked a girl home?" Maria asked, with a smile.

"Uh…this would be the first." He said. Their conversation stopped as a large dark dog started running towards them, barking threateningly. They both jumped with surprise. Joe pushed Maria behind him instinctively. The dog stopped fifteen feet from Joe and just growled, hair standing up. Joe didn't move an inch.

"It's okay, Joe." Maria said. "Felix…" She cooed. The dog's ears pricked up and looked at Maria as she stepped from behind Joe. "It's okay, Felix." She went up to the dog and the dog wagged his tail.

"You could have warned me that you had a dog." Joe said. Maria smiled at him.

"I didn't know he would be out this late. He isn't usually." She said. "Felix, this is Joe. He's okay." The dog smelled Joe's hand and didn't wag his tail, but walked away calmly.

They made it to the front door and Maria opened the door and went in, Joe following.

"Aunt Flo?" She called out, softly. There was no answer. "She probably went to bed already. I'll just go get my keys and be right back."

"Okay," Joe whispered. Maria went up the stairs and went into her terribly messy room. She tried to remember where she had left her keys. She dug in the pockets of the jean she had been wearing earlier and found them. She pulled them out and went back down the stairs, quietly. Joe was sitting on the couch, texting. Probably Alex, Maria thought with a smile.

"Ready." She said. Joe stood up and they went back outside. Maria led the way around the house to her car. It was an old black mustang, but she loved it. Joe slid in and Maria got in the other side.

"Nice car." Joe said.

"Thanks." Maria said. It only took two minutes before she was pulling into his driveway. "Thanks for walking me home, Joe."

"Sure." Joe said. "Next time, don't walk."

"Or do and not let you know." She said, laughing. Joe mock glared at her before getting out.

"Goodnight." He called.

"Night." She answered, just as he slammed his door shut. She drove home with a million thoughts.

**A/N: Please, please, please review. I will love you forever. **

**Tonya**


End file.
